Exam 10: Understanding Groups and Teams

High cohesiveness combined with a strong alignment between group goals and organizational goals typically results in a(n)________.

Refer to the Scenario below to answer the questions that follow. Teams at Strato Engineering (Scenario) Strato Engineering,a technology product company,recently organized Team 1 to develop the next generation of the company's model CVF-D.The team is composed of the product development manager,chief engineer,director of procurement,human resources director-technology,marketing research director,cost analysis director,operations director-production,and the four highest-dollar project vendors.The preliminary projection for the lifetime of the team (up to prototype production)is expected to be two years due to the level of technology involved in the product. Team 2 has also been recently established to solve a problem with an adhesive used to attach a thin-foil material to a finished metal surface.There are three members in this team: installer,engineer,and sales representative for the adhesive manufacturer.They operate without a manager and no one in particular is the leader.It is anticipated that it will require about two days to solve the problem. Team 3 has been working together for four years implementing modifications to the company's current model CVF-C.It is composed of members in the areas of procurement,engineering,and production,and also includes several vendors and Strato Engineering customers' procurement agents.None of the members of this team are at the same location.They use a sophisticated computer-aided design program to view the product on screen in three-dimensional form at each location simultaneously. At the Oshawa facility,Team 4 has been formed to stamp a new part.It requires four members,and they rotate jobs every two hours.Before beginning the workday,they meet for about 10 minutes and discuss the work that needs to be completed that day. -Team 2 is a ________ team.

The ________ stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behaviour.

Those in the company who viewed the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have a(n)________ view of conflict.

When assembling a team,managers should look for individuals who ________.

________ conflict is based on interpersonal relationships.

Which stage of group development is characterized by conflict over leadership and the controls that the group places on individuals?

Refer to the Scenario below to answer the questions that follow. King Midas (Scenario) King Midas Manufacturing Co.has been utilizing groups to improve the manufacturing process,product design and packaging,vendor selection,quality control,and other organizational tasks.The groups have been starting and stopping for the last three years.Some of the most successful groups were together for only a few months,while others have been together for over a year with little success to date.Management has requested your consulting expertise in determining why there were varied successes and failures. Your analysis indicates that the stage of group development is part of the explanation for the diverse results.For example,Group 348 has been meeting for one month and still having some difficulty establishing a leader.At least three individuals are qualified to keep the group focused on its objectives,but they are still undecided about who should lead. Group 174 has been meeting for about two years and has nearly completed its task.They have only one more print to distribute to engineering for final consideration before prototype production can begin on the latest model of product S.Only four of the original nine members remain,and the group is winding down. Group 830 has been meeting for 11 months and is finding it difficult to get all 10 members together at one time.Several of the middle-level managers have been promoted and transferred to other functional areas or to other facilities of the company.To date,the group has had 18 members at one time or another to fill the 10 positions allocated by management and,as a result,has not yet started to focus on its objectives. On the other hand,Group 458 has been meeting for two months and seems to be progressing extremely well.You attended a meeting and observed that the group starts by chatting for about five minutes,then moves to the meeting area and begins reviewing the decisions of the last meeting.Then,Group 458 gets down to new business,focusing on their objectives and determining new assignments before concluding and returning to their functional job duties. Finally,Group 791 has been meeting for four months and appears to have close relationships between its members,considerable cohesiveness,and a focus on its objectives. -Group 348's challenges regarding the selection of a team leader constitute which type of conflict?

For permanent work groups,________ is the last stage in their development.

Groups tend to go through five stages as they develop.

The human relations view of conflict holds that conflict must be avoided because it indicates a problem within the group.

Managers should try to avoid conflict,especially during the storming stage of group development.

The challenge of creating team players will be greatest when the national culture is highly individualistic and the teams are being introduced into an organization that has historically valued individual achievement.

The ________ view of conflict sees it as absolutely necessary for effective organizational performance.

Refer to the Scenario below to answer the questions that follow. The Retreat (Scenario) The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to Niagara Falls for their inaugural strategic planning meeting.Few people knew each other,but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that would be effective and usable.Their years of complaining about the old system had dumped this new responsibility right in their lap.They had four days to become brilliant,and everyone was a little on edge.The first day,little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader.Finally,Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group.By the second day,the group seemed to begin working well.They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process.The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly,with ideas flowing freely.By the end of the fourth day,they had a workable system developed,and they felt satisfied.That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day.They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life. -The stage of group development characterized by their being at the retreat for a business reason is known as ________.

Al is given two different "top priorities" from two different managers.Al is experiencing ________.

Which of the following is a characteristic of effective teams?

According to the interactionist view,________ conflicts support the goals of the organization.

High-performance teams tend to have ________ goals.

Resolving conflicts by placing another's needs and concerns above your own is called ________.